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In June 2024, current and former workers associated with OpenAI and Google DeepMind backed an open letter asking AI companies to protect employees who warn about risks. The letter called for safeguards against retaliation for raising concerns internally or publicly, and an end to non-disparagement terms that could penalize departing workers for criticism. OpenAI said employees could report concerns through channels including an anonymous integrity hotline and said rigorous debate was important.

What did the letter ask AI companies to change?

The letter’s central demand was a “right to warn” about AI dangers without fear of retaliation. It urged companies to let employees raise concerns through internal channels and speak publicly about risks, while protecting them from punishment for doing so.

It also called on companies to stop requiring non-disparagement agreements that could be used to penalize former employees for criticizing their employers. The Associated Press reported that criticism of OpenAI departure paperwork had recently led the company to release former employees from non-disparagement agreements. That report described the situation in June 2024; it did not establish the scope or later status of every agreement.

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Who signed the letter?

The Associated Press reported 13 signatories. Most were former OpenAI employees; two worked or had worked at Google DeepMind, and four were identified as anonymous current OpenAI employees. The letter also had support from Yoshua Bengio, Geoffrey Hinton, and Stuart Russell.

Former OpenAI engineer Daniel Ziegler, an organizer, told the AP that development was moving quickly and that incentives encouraged companies to advance without enough caution. Co-organizer and former OpenAI employee Daniel Kokotajlo said he left because he had lost hope the company would act responsibly, particularly in its pursuit of artificial general intelligence. These were the organizers’ stated concerns, not findings that a specific safety failure had occurred.

How did OpenAI respond?

OpenAI said employees already had ways to raise concerns, including an anonymous integrity hotline. The company said it was proud of its record and scientific approach to risk, and agreed that rigorous debate mattered. In a statement reported by the AP, OpenAI said: “We agree that rigorous debate is crucial given the significance of this technology and we’ll continue to engage with governments, civil society and other communities around the world.”

The company’s response stated its position; the AP report did not independently evaluate whether the hotline was effective or whether employees felt safe using it. The letter’s concerns likewise should not be read as proof of a particular safety incident.

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Did OpenAI or other AI companies adopt the requested protections?

The June 4, 2024 AP coverage documented the campaign and the company’s response at that time. It does not establish whether OpenAI or other firms later adopted the letter’s requested protections. The signatory count and organizers’ views describe this campaign, not the views of AI workers generally.

Sources

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